Toy gun



W. N'. WHEELER Oct. 20, 1959 TOY GUN Filed Feb. 10, 1958 United StatesPatent() TOY GUN william N.wheeler, Lexington, Ky. Y ApplicationFebruary 10, 1958,' Serial No. 714,405 s claims. -(c1. 46-191) Thepresent invention generally relates vto a toy gun and has for itsprimary object the provision of a toy gun for children particularlybetween the ages Vof one year to six years.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy gun `whichwill produce a noise without resorting to any explosive such'as theconventional explosive caps which 4are quite dangerous Vto this agegroup.

-A further object Vofthe present invention is to provide a toy gun whichwill produce-a noise that will adequately entertain the children butwhich will be less objectionable and irritating to others when usedindoors by a child.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide atoy gun which will produce a noise without the use of any explosives andwill be substantially foolproof since it does not require the placementof any articles such as caps or the like into the gun before it is used.

The present type of toy gun will provide a highly entertaining devicefor children and will eliminate any danger from explosive devices aswell as irritating noise such as produced by the cap type gun since thepresent device incorporates a construction including a bell memberhaving a movable gong or bell contact member operated by a triggermechanism.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequentlybecome apparent reside in the details of construction and operation asmore fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals referto like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a top view of the toy gun of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken substantally upon :aplane passing along section line 2 -2 of Figure l illustrating thestructural details of the noise producing mechanism; and

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional View on an enlarged scale takensubstantially upon a plane passing along section line 3--3 of Figure 2illustrating further structural details of the trigger mechanism and themovable bell contact member.

The gun is shown generally by the numeral 2, comprising sides 4 and 6and held together by the pins 8, Figure 2. An opening is provided ineach side for a bell 12, that simulates a gun cylinder, to extendthrough. The bell is fixed to the sides 4 and 6 by the the internalsupport 14 that is formed as part of the side 4. A pin 16 secures thebell 12 to the support 14 with a resilient spacing washer 18 between thetwo units.

A striking device shown generally by the numeral 20 is formed of springwire and is mounted on a pin 22 for pivotal movement by a series ofturns of the Wire 24 to act as a bearing on the pin 22. The bearingterminates with a downward projection arm 26 which rests under tensionin a groove in the stop 28 fixed to the shell side 4. The groove in thestop 28 holds the striking member 20 in place on the pin 22. Anarm 30extends from "ICC the bearing 24 Yand terminates at a right angle offsetportion 32 andagain provided with a right angle offset in approximatelythe same plane to provide an arm 34 that extends into the bell 12. Astriking member or gong 36 for the bell is lfixed to the end of the arm34. The turns of thebearing 24 act as a tensioning agent for thestriking member'. A pin38 acts as a stop for the downward movement ofthe striking member and keeps it under tension in this position. Also,in this position the striker '36 is positioned clear of the bell 12.

A trigger member shown generally by the numeral 40 is -pivoted on thepin 42 through the oblong bearing open# ing 44 t'o provide horizontalmovement of the trigger member-on Ithe pin 42. The member includes -adownward extending armV 46 for `the finger, a rearward extending arm 48that terminates with an upward extending portion y50.

` The arm 50 is provided with a flat top surface that lies 52 underlight tensionby the spring 54. The spring 54 is pivoted onthe pin 561byseveral turns of the wire to act as la bearing 580m the pin 56 but thebearing 58 is free to turn on the pin 56. The spring 54 is V-shaped withone or two turns 6ft of the spring at the apex of the V to providetensioning means for the spring. The lower arm 62 of the springterminates with -a right angled end portion 64 that pivots in anextension 66 fixed as part of the `arm 48. The extension 66 keeps thespring 54 clear of the striking member 20.

A pull on the trigger carries the trigger unit rearward until theforward face of the oblong bearing opening 44 rests against the pin 42.As the tensioning spring 54 is pivoted on the pin 56 for free swing ofthe lower end of the spring, the arm 48 is rst carried rearward Withoutadding further tension to the spring 54. This carries the rear edge ofthe face surface of the arm 50 back under the offset 32 of the strikingmember. A further pull on the trigger swings the arm 50 upward in `anarc about the pivot pin 42. The upper face of the arm 50 contacts theoffset 32 and swings it upward vin an arc about the pin 22. As the twoarc movements are in an opposite direction the two become disengagedwhen the striker has been raised a predetermined amount. The arm 30,under tension of coiled spring bearing 24, flies back against the stop38. The momentum of the striker weight 36 causes it to strike the belland then move to its normal position away from the .bell to preventdeadening of the sound. Releasing the pressure on the trigger allows thespring 54, which has been put under greater tension, to push the arm 48back down to the stop S2. The rear angled yface of the extension 50strikes the face of the offset 32 yand slides the trigger member forwardallowing the top surface ofthe extension S0 to pass below the offset 32,thus bringing the trigger -back to its original position against thestop 52. A stop 68 limits the upper movement of the arm 48 lwhich isslightly beyond the point where the extension 50 and the striker armoffset 32 become disengaged.

As noted in Figure 2, the striker arm offset 32 is in line, when atrest, with the trigger pivot pin 42 and the striker pivot pin 22.

A vertical projection 70 facing against the trigger arm 48 provides oneside of a working channel for the arm 4S. A similar and opposite Workingface is formed in the shell 6 sufficiently forward to clear the triggerarm extension `66.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed. t

What is claimedas new is as follows:

l. A toy gun comprising a frame including a barrel, avbell mounted onksaid frame, a bell striking member movably supported from said frame,spring means urging said striking member into engagement with said bell,and trigger means including means for engaging said striking member,said engaging means being rendered inelective in response to movement ofAsaid trigger means towards a retracted position thereby releasing saidstriking member rapidly against said bell for producing sound, saidspring means including a spring wire anchored to said frame and having atransverse oiset portion disposed centrally therein, said triggermeans-including a projection movable in a path for engagement with saidtransverse offset portion for movement of said bell striking -memberaway from said bell, said spring wire and said trigger means beingmovable about spaced axes whereby continued rearward movement of saidtrigger means will disengage said projection from said transverse oisetportion thereby releasing said lbell striking member for movementtowards said bell.

2. The combination of claim 1, said bell being substantially cylindricaland having an open end facing rear- Y 4 Y wardly relative to said frame,said striking member extending substantially horizontally relative tosaid frame and projecting through said opening in the bell, saidstriking member having a weighted portion engageable with said bell,said weighted portion being confined wholly Within said bell.

3. A toy gun comprising a frame including a bar-rel, a bell mounted onsaid frame, a bell striking member movably supported from said frame, aspring wire anchored to said frame urging said striking member intoengagement with said bell, said spring wire having a transverse olsetportion disposed centrally therein, and

,. trigger means having "means Yfor engaging said oiset portion wherebycontinued rearward movement of said trigger means will disengage saidengaging means from said otset portion thereby releasing said bellstriking member for movement towards said bell for the purpose ofproducing sound.

` References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

